758 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



No. 12 



small) will, after a winter's freeze, and a sum- 

 mer's rooting of the ho<z;s, be nearly filled up. 

 Consequently before he can plough again to pro- 

 fit, he must re-open his drains, and so continue to 

 do at every rotation. 



JVly method is to make the drains eighteen inches 

 wide at the top, eight at the bottom, and eighteen 

 deep. I cut the drains at the lower edge of the 

 bill, and fill them to the depth of ten inches with 

 rocks of any description, except very large ones, 

 thrown in promiscuously; reserving such as are 

 •flat for a top layer to prevent the earth Irom get- 

 ting through. I then put on a layer of shavings, 

 if convenient ; if not, inverted sods. (The rush 

 ■dug up with the roots answers very well.) The 

 earth, which has been dug out of the drains, is 

 then drawn back ; and the work is done for years, 

 and for aught that I know, for ages. 



I would recommend in all cases to commence 

 filling at the upper end of the drain ; and should 

 any earth fall in below the rocks, let it be removed; 

 and also the thick mud that may accumulate belbre 

 filling in with the rocks. 



The advantages of drains thus made, Mr. 

 Chairman, are briefly the following. The work 

 once done is permanently done ; the hiirher lands 

 above the drains tire cleared from the obstruction 

 of rocks and stones ; the mud below becomes dry 

 and tillable ; and the hopes of the IJtrmer are more 

 than realized in the abundance of his crops. 



L. Johnson,. 



November 2Sth, 1839. 



HOW TO DRY PU3IPK1NS. 



From tlie Maine Farmer. 



3Ir Editor: — Perhaps it may not be geneildly 

 known that the more exjjeditious, as well as econ- 

 omical method of drying pumpkins for domestic 

 use is in the following manner. Prepare the 

 pumpkin and stew it the sanje as for immediate 

 use, then lay it on trenchers or tiers and dry it (not 

 bake or scorch it) before the fire, or in the oven 

 moderately heated, after baking. Care should be 

 taken after it is dried to keep it as much as possible 

 from damp air in wet weather, otherwise it may 

 mould. All that need be done to prepare it for use 

 is to soak it in milk or water some six or eight 

 hours previous to its being wanted. It should not 

 be spread out like a Jennie cake on the tin, but 

 rolled afierihe mannerof biscuit, as it will frequent- 

 ly be necessary to turn it while drjing. The above 

 is communicated at the request of a goodhousewile 

 whom you may call Priscjlla. 



IVest Sidney, Sept. 1839. 



BRICF NOTICE OF INDIAN KEY, WRITTEN BY 

 A YOUNG GIRL. 



Communicated for tlie Farmers' Register. 



Indian Key, T. F.. Nov. 15, 1839. 

 The islet of Indian Key, is situated in latitude 

 24° 48', longitude 80° 55', distant from the gull' 

 stream 6 miles, from Key West, 19 north and 60 

 east, from Cape Florida, 53 south and 35 west, 

 and from Ca[)e Sable, 13 south and 14 east. It 

 was settled in 1824. At that time it was remark- 



able for nothing but a battle, fought between the 

 Indians and a French crew that had been cast 

 away, in which the Frencli were horribly murder- 

 ed, and Irom that circumstance it took its name. 

 It is composed entirely of coral rock, and is of 

 only 12 acres in extent at low water. The south- 

 east side is composed of rugged rocks, but these 

 are not destitute of verdure ; in the fissures of the 

 rocks a saline succulent plant, known under the 

 name of sesuvium, lakes root and brings a vine, 

 soon covers a large part of the otherwise barren 

 rock ; it is much like the barilla. The remaining 

 part of the island, instead of being covered with 

 grass, is carpeted as it were with an aromatic 

 herb called tea binkum, resembling the thyme 

 of the north ; pepper grass in a wild state is 

 also abundant. The comn;on weeds are the 

 periwinkle or Madagascar rose [vinca rosea,] the 

 yellow prickly popp}^, [argemone j/iexu'aija,] the 

 white prickly [)or>py, and difierent varieties of the 

 morning glory. On a Christmas morning, instead 

 of a waste of snow greeting our eyes, we look 

 only upon ever blooming, ever green foliage. On 

 the north-east side of the island, extensive wharves 

 are built out; on the west is a sandy beach 

 with a large sea side grape tree, Icoccolopa uvife- 

 ra,] whose roots are even washed by the flowing 

 tides; the fruit tasies much like the cherry, but 

 grows in clusters like the grape. On the south, 

 there is a large hotel, which is now open lor the 

 accommodation ol travellers; and Irom the salubrity 

 of the climate and the pleasantness of the island, 

 which has been happily siyled a ''■ gem of the ocean,''' 

 afibrds an inviting resort lor invalids from the north. 

 Near the centre of the island, there is an open 

 square which I suppose might be denominated the 

 village green; on the norih-easi side of the green, 

 are built four very neat cottages and a large store ; 

 on the western side, is the dwelling of the Inspec- 

 tor of the port, whose yard is well stocked with mo- 

 rus multicaulis trees which are covered with their 

 luxuriant foliage the whole year round. He has 

 a young guava tree, which is now loaded with 

 fruit in its difierent stages, from the blossom to the 

 perfect fruit. He has also the fig, the fast grow- 

 ing pride of China, \7nelia sempervircns] the Par- 

 adise or [jnoringa pterigosperma,] horse-radish 

 tree, the coidia sebestina or geiger, the princiana 

 pulcherima, the agati coccinea or scarlet dragon 

 tree, castor oil tree, and last, though not least, the 

 Spanish bayonet, [agave floridana.] It was trans- 

 planted from one of the adjacent islands in March 

 of 1839, it was then about four leet high and the 

 leaves two feet long ; in the last of August it be- 

 gan to send up a straight green stem about six 

 inches in circumlerence, it is now 25 leet high, 

 and crowned at the lop with a large bunch of 

 flower buds ; it is a curiosity which might well 

 be an object of envy to proprietors of green houses 

 at the riortli. Op[)osite this yard is another in 

 which may be found five species of cotton, at this 

 lime in blossom ; the Indian almonds, [terminalia 

 catappa,] the mamey apple, ihe aligator pear, the 

 pine-apple, the sapodilla, the dwarf banana, [or 

 musica coccinea.^ the heliconia bihai, the hedy- 

 cJtiam coronarium, the achania malvaviscus, the 

 tecoma capensis, cobela inflata, S^c. 8fc. On the 

 norih-east side of the island is situated the house 

 and yard of the proprietor of the island ; it is shaded 

 by tile splendid cocoa-nut palm of difierent sizes. 

 The oldest were planted in 1825, and are now bear- 



